The United Kingdom exited the European Union on 31 January 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement transition period ends on 31 December 2020, though there is provision for a possible extension (Europa). If a trade deal is not concluded by the end of the transition period, there are fears that the ensuing “hard Brexit” could cause significant economic harm (BBC, Institute for Government). For more information on the EU trade negotiation process, please see (note stage #23): https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2012/june/tradoc_149616.pdf. An example of the Council of the European Union requesting the consent of the European Parliament to conclude a trade agreement is the EU-Canada accord in 2016 (Europa).